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New York Red Bulls: Tyler Adams is a real star

By Andrew Dowdeswell

HARRISON, NJ - MAY 5 : David Villa #7 of New York City kicks toward the goal with Tyler Adams #4 of New York Red Bulls attempting to stop him during the New York Derby Major League Soccer match between New York City FC and New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on May 5, 2018 in Harrison, NJ. New York Red Bulls won the match with a score of 4 to 0. (Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images)
HARRISON, NJ - MAY 5 : David Villa #7 of New York City kicks toward the goal with Tyler Adams #4 of New York Red Bulls attempting to stop him during the New York Derby Major League Soccer match between New York City FC and New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on May 5, 2018 in Harrison, NJ. New York Red Bulls won the match with a score of 4 to 0. (Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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Tyler Adams was a man on fire when the New York Red Bulls took on New York City FC in the Hudson river derby on Saturday. This kid is a real star.

The development of home-grown young players is always an exciting thing. There are few things more exciting for a fan than seeing a young starlet, whether it be a local or newly-acquired talent, burst into the first team.

While the big-money signings are often the ones that grab the headlines and make the heart flutter, there is an unbridled and gradual joy that comes from seeing a young player develop and ultimately bloom that is unparalleled in the sport.

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That is the joy that New York Red Bulls fans are currently experiencing with one of their most hearty and passionate contributors.

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It wasn’t until the 2017 season that Tyler Adams established himself as a regular first-team player under Jesse Marsch. He made 24 MLS appearances that season, playing in a myriad of roles, displaying his versatility and his game intelligence, such that he could be positionally aware no matter where he was fielded.

This season, Adams has begun to tie down a more defined role: right in the heart of the Red Bulls midfield, and he is beginning to make it his own. He was a regular fixture in the CCL side earlier in the season, and then he returned to domestic duties on Saturday in a truly astonishing match.

The first New York derby of the season was a highly anticipated fixture. The New York Red Bulls, while suffering a couple of shock losses early on, in part thanks to their CONCACAF Champions League duties, were highly fancied prior to the beginning of the season and Marsch’s squad is deep and varied throughout the pitch. New York City FC, meanwhile, have been one of the most exciting teams in MLS so far this year, with Patrick Vieira’s side initially looking like one of the key challengers for MLS Cup, going unbeaten for the first five games of the campaign.

But here, they could not have looked further from that status on Saturday.

The Red Bulls dismantled NYCFC in an excellent performance full of pace, athleticism and precision in the final third. Creativity from Kaku, the customary goal from Bradley Wright-Phillips, and the relentless high-press that suffocated NYCFC. And at the heart of it all was a truly brilliant individual display from that man Tyler Adams.

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This is a 19-year-old starlet who is anchoring one of the best midfields in the country. That is the true sign of a remarkably gifted player. He really is a star in the present and in the making, and the New York Red Bulls are very lucky to have him indeed.

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